our lovely trip to Balmer

It’s been over a week since we returned from our visit to Baltimore, and already that place full of people and memories feels far away. We had quite a packed adventure; not only did I have three scheduled sessions, but we managed to see quite a few of our friends and family (though definitely not everyone we wanted to see.

The ride to and from was uneventful, with the exception that our return trip was blessed with a fixed-up A/C system, which was broken the whole ride down in pretty hot weather. By now the in-laws have a system down pat for having us as guests–the dining room turns into the kid’s bedroom, and we take over the blue room. It’s all pretty ingenious (thanks to Frederica, really), and makes things super easy to do.

I think back fondly on lunch with Sig and Mel before they went to see Harry Potter’s opening, a delicious sushi dinner with Steph and Joe, visiting my friend Lily and my goddaughter Zenaida, seeing a beautiful weeping icon visiting from Hawaii, photographing at Artscape, meeting a lovely newborn (and taking his portrait!), and watching a couple I’ve known for awhile now finally tie the knot.

And who can forget Steve’s first foray into pulled-pork barbeque with his dad? Ruth had sewing lessons with Mamou–she can never get enough Mamou time. Lucas? Well, he just kept on learning new words, really, and making messes. He’s good at that.

All in all, a quite eventful and a lovely trip, even if some of it was work. At the end of it, it didn’t really feel like work. That’s how I hear life’s supposed to feel when things are good.

Outdoor excursion recap: a camping trip & anniversary hike

June and July were months filled to the brim with outdoor activity.

June was our very first camping adventure as a family. We drove out mid-week to Nickerson State Park out on the Cape; it was nearly empty, beautifully quiet, and we had near-perfect weather. The kids were fascinated by setting up tents, cooking with our stove, and making our first fire. After the sun set, bedtime in the tent went smoothly, and everyone fit nicely into a family-size tent we borrowed from a friend.

Steve and I were prepared for the event that we’d have to pull up stakes in the middle of the night and head home, but luckily that didn’t happen. The first morning dawned, and the kids showed no sign of homesickness or lagging interest (with the exception that we had forgotten Ruthie’s beloved blanket at home).

We prepared ourselves for the day, rented two bicycles and a buggy, and took a marvelous bike ride to the National Seashore for a picnic lunch. We stopped in Orleans for ice cream on the way home (SUPER exciting for the little ones), and even had time to hit a beach in the afternoon (the local beaches are open to all after 3pm!). After a hot meal back at the camp, the kids were pooped and fell asleep promptly after the last story was read.

The next day the weather was a bit more dicey, so we donned all our rain gear and set out for a hike around Cliff Pond. With two little ones and only a single child carrier, it took nearly all morning to complete the circuit. We made several pleasant stops to snack and explore and ate our lunch on a ridge overlooking the pond. Catching a glimpse of a map, Ruth discovered that there was a namesake pond for her not too far away. “Look look, it says ‘R-U-T-H’!” When we explained to her what it was on the map, she asked if we could go.

So we did, the very next day. Seeing Ruth Pond was quite a thrill for the kids; it was stocked with fish to look at. Steve and I enjoyed teaching the kids to (attempt to) skip stones. Ruth named an adjacent pond “Lucas Pond” so in a thoughtful moment of inclusion. After that, we headed to a seafood shack to get some requisite lobster, then headed homewards.

All in all, that family camping experience left us hankering for more of its kind, as well as more outdoor action.

So, although Steve was away in Albania for our actual anniversary date, we celebrated quite happily with a long hike through the Blue Hills. The terrain–so characteristic of New England–varied greatly, between even, fertile paths, and rugged, fast-rising, rock-scrambling trails. The heat (95 degrees F) made the trails even more challenging; we were glad we had stocked our water bottles with ice before leaving.

After our adventure, which left us dripping with sweat, we tidied ourselves up and headed downtown, parking by the Public Garden. Close by was a historic restaurant called the Red Hat Cafe (which has been in operation for over 100 years), that happened to offer 10 cent wings. We ate our fill (and boy, was it filling), walked around the garden as the sun set, and then headed home. Simply a lovely way to spend time remembering how fun it is to be around each other.

I’m amassing photographic proof of these events, to be posted later.